Local: June 2009 Archives

I just ran across the Rising Tides design competition, "an open international design competition for ideas responding to sea level rise in San Francisco Bay and beyond" sponsored by San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.
Submissions are due by June 29.

Per their website:

"Nearly
every day, we learn more about sea level rise - one of the most
critical impacts of global warming. Individually and collectively,
people are seeking solutions to this climate challenge. The issue of
sea level rise is clearly of global importance, and both simple and
complex design interventions will be needed to sustain quality of life,
preserve the environment and ensure continued economic vitality of
shoreline communities throughout the world. Challenges include:

Rethinking how to build new communities in areas susceptible to future inundation

Retrofitting valuable public shoreline infrastructure

Protecting existing communities from flooding

Protecting wetlands

Anticipating changing shoreline configurations

At the intersection of rising seas and our coastal
human settlements, your ideas are needed. The Rising Tides ideas
competition is open to everyone. All are encouraged to bring forward
their vision of a future estuarine shoreline that is applicable to San
Francisco Bay and beyond."

"An April 7 draft report released by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission predicted that the sea level in the Bay Area will rise 16 inches by mid-century and 55 inches by 2100, flooding areas of the Berkeley Marina and a few blocks of West Berkeley." (read more...)